Breath of Fire II
Breath of Fire II, known in Japan as Breath of Fire II: The Fatal Child (ブレス オブ ファイアII 使命の子, Buresu obu Faia Tsū Shimei no Ko) , is a console role-playing game developed and published by Capcom. It was produced by Tokuro Fujiwara and first released in 1994, the game was licensed to Laguna for European release in 1996. It was later ported to Game Boy Advance and re-released worldwide. The game has been rated by the ESRB for release on Wii's Virtual Console; Nintendo of Europe's website mistakenly announced it for release on July 27th 2007, but was released two weeks later on August 10th 2007 (and on August 27th, 2007 in North America). Unlike later installments in the series, Breath of Fire II is a direct sequel to the original Breath of Fire. Set 500 years after the original game; the story centers on an orphan named Ryu Bateson, whose family vanished mysteriously when he was a child. After his friend is falsely accused of a crime, Ryu embarks on a journey to clear his name. The official English translation(s) are rough at best, but several fan groups have retranslated the original Japanese script into German (by d4s in 2006) and English (by Ryusui in 2009) to present the game as it was origionally intended. These versions are available as patched ROMs for snes emulators (download English retranslation here). Gameplay The core structure of the game is very similar to Breath of Fire, consisting of four modes of play: the world map, the field map, a menu screen, and a battle screen. The world map is seen through an aerial view display in which players freely navigate across a small-scale version of the game world. Enemies are randomly encountered while traveling though field maps or the world map. As the player character moves around, other members of his traveling party walk behind him in a line. Group lineup can be rearranged at any time, allowing another party member to become leader. Each character has a unique skill which can be used outside of battle; Depending on who is currently leading the group, the player can use these skills to fish, hunt animals, bridge chasms, or swim across water. Certain characters must be recruited before players may have access to entire world map. Hunting and fishing once again play a role, though Breath of Fire II features more opportunities to do so than its prequel. Hunting areas are indicated by tufts of grass which randomly appear on the world map; By entering the grass leaves, the party is automatically transported to a tiny field map populated by animals. Only select characters have the ability to hunt; Bow comes equipped with a crossbow, while Katt attacks with her staff. Animals are easily spooked and will run away if they spot the player chacater. They take anywhere from 1-10 hits to defeat (depending on their size), whereupon they transform into a restorative item which can be stored away for later use. Fishing spots behave in a similar manner, with the exception that Ryu can only fish in an area with water. The viewpoint switches to a side-view during a fishing sequence, which shows Ryu standing over a coral reef. Players have to outfit Ryu with a rod and a lure (purchased at most shops) before he is able to fish. An on-screen meter measures the strength of Ryu's fishing line. Once a fish bites the lure, the Tension meter will rise until Ryu reels in the fish. If the meter reaches maximum, the line snaps and the fish goes free. Plot Setting The fictional world of Breath of Fire II is very reminiscent of the previous game, though very few locations have survived the 500-year transition. Windia, home to the royal Wing Clan, still resides to the north. New species include the Shell Clan, a race of giant armadillos, and the Creeping Clan, a monarchy of artisan frogs. The Dragon Clan from Breath of Fire has all but perished, leaving only scattered statues as proof of their existence. A new religious idol named St. Eva has replaced the Dragon God, and the St. Eva church is rapidly becoming popular all over. Long ago, a demon attacked the woodland town of Gate. According to local legend, a huge dragon suddenly appeared and banished the demon away. The dragon can still be found slumbering on the outskirts of Gate, where it guards the entrance to the demon realm. Story Ryu begins the game as a young boy, the son of a priest in the town of Gate. When his sister Yua goes missing, Ryu's father (Ganer) asks him to fetch her before she gets into trouble. Ryu's search eventually leads him to the wilderness outside Gate, where he finds Yua napping beneath the head of a sleeping dragon. Acting on Yua's advice, Ryu follows suit and falls asleep under the dragon. When he awakens, his family has disappeared, and no one in town recognizes him. Later that night, a young orphan named Bow decides to loot the church. Finding nothing of interest, he decides to accompany Ryu on his way to another town. Many years later, Ryu and Bow are living in Hometown, performing odd jobs for the Ranger's Guild. After an item is stolen from the home of a wealthy man, Bow is falsely accused of the theft and forced to flee. With the authorities out looking for him, Bow is left with little recourse but to go into hiding, leaving Ryu to find the real thief. Gallery Image:BofFIICoverScan.png Image:BofFIIGBA.png See Also *For a list of Breath of Fire II Characters, see here *For a list of Breath of Fire II Locations, see here *For a list of Breath of Fire II Abilities, see here *For a list of Breath of Fire II Enemies, see here *For a list of Breath of Fire II Items, see here *For a list of Breath of Fire II Production Staff, see here *For the complete story of Breath of Fire II, see here *For box art, images and artwork from Breath of Fire II, see here